David Oyelowo

Acting

David Oyelowo

Born April 1, 1976Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK116 credits

David Oyetokunbo Oyelowo (/oʊˈjɛloʊwoʊ/ oh-YEL-oh-woh; Yoruba pronunciation; born 1 April 1976) is a British actor, director and producer. His accolades include a Critics' Choice Award, two NAACP Image Awards, and nominations for three Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a BAFTA Award. In 2016, he was appointed as an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to drama. Oyelowo rose to prominence for portraying Martin Luther King Jr. in the biographical drama Selma (2014) and Peter Snowden in the HBO film Nightingale (2014), which garnered him critical acclaim. He also achieved praise for his roles as Louis Gaines in The Butler (2013), Seretse Khama in A United Kingdom (2016) and Robert Katende in Queen of Katwe (2016). He has also played supporting roles in the films Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), The Help (2011), Lincoln (2012), Red Tails (2012), and Jack Reacher (2012). On television, Oyelowo has played MI5 officer Danny Hunter in the British drama series Spooks (2002–2004) and Javert in the BBC miniseries Les Misérables (2018). He also provided the voice for Agent Alexsandr Kallus in the Lucasfilm Animation series Star Wars Rebels  (2014–2018) and Holston Becker in the Apple+ drama series Silo. He stars in and co-produces the 2023 Paramount+ western series Lawmen: Bass Reeves. Description above from the Wikipedia article David Oyelowo, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

Filmography

Newborn
2026Newborn
as Chris NewbornMovie
The American Revolution
2025The American Revolution
as Olaudah Equiano / Sam (voice)TV
Government Cheese
2025Government Cheese
as Hampton ChambersTV
Big Cats, Small World
2024Big Cats, Small World
as Narrator (voice)TV
Becoming King
2024Becoming King
as SelfMovie
The After
2024The After
as DayoMovie
The Book of Clarence
2024The Book of Clarence
as John the BaptistMovie
Role Play
2023Role Play
as DaveMovie
Lawmen: Bass Reeves
2023Lawmen: Bass Reeves
as Bass ReevesTV
Silo
2023Silo
as Sheriff Holston BeckerTV
The Tiger Who Came to Tea
2022The Tiger Who Came to Tea
as The Tiger (voice)Movie
Sherri
2022Sherri
as Self - GuestTV
See How They Run
2022See How They Run
as Mervyn Cocker-NorrisMovie
The Bastard King
2022The Bastard King
as The Bastard KingMovie
Earth's Great Rivers II
2022Earth's Great Rivers II
as Self - Narrator (voice)TV
The Girl Before
2021The Girl Before
as Edward MonkfordTV
5150
20215150
Executive ProducerMovie
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway
2021Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway
as Nigel Basil-JonesMovie
Night of the Kings
2021Night of the Kings
Executive ProducerMovie
Chaos Walking
2021Chaos Walking
as AaronMovie
The Midnight Sky
2020The Midnight Sky
as AdewoleMovie
Come Away
2020Come Away
as Jack LittletonMovie
The Water Man
2020The Water Man
as Amos BooneMovie
Home Movie: The Princess Bride
2020Home Movie: The Princess Bride
as Prince HumperdinckTV
Tamron Hall
2019Tamron Hall
as Self - GuestTV
Don't Let Go
2019Don't Let Go
as Detective Jack RadcliffMovie
Brave Girl Rising
2019Brave Girl Rising
as NarratorMovie
Earth's Great Rivers
2019Earth's Great Rivers
as Self - Narrator (voice)TV
Gringo
2018Gringo
as Harold SoyinkaMovie
A Wrinkle in Time
2018A Wrinkle in Time
as The It (voice)Movie
Family Feud
2018Family Feud
as 2148 DescendantMovie
A United Kingdom
2016A United Kingdom
as Seretse KhamaMovie
Queen of Katwe
2016Queen of Katwe
as Robert KatendeMovie
Nina
2016Nina
as Clifton HendersonMovie
Captive
2015Captive
as Brian NicholsMovie
Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal
2015Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal
as Agent Kallus (voice)Movie
A Most Violent Year
2014A Most Violent Year
as D.A. LawrenceMovie
Selma
2014Selma
as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Movie
Interstellar
2014Interstellar
as School PrincipalMovie
Default
2014Default
as AtlasMovie
Star Wars Rebels
2014Star Wars Rebels
as Agent Kallus (voice)TV
Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion
2014Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion
as Agent Kallus (voice)Movie
Nightingale
2014Nightingale
as Peter SnowdenMovie
9 Kisses
20149 Kisses
as CustomerMovie
The Butler
2013The Butler
as Louis GainesMovie
The Frame
2013The Frame
as Steven JacobsTV
Complicit
2013Complicit
as Edward EkuboMovie
Jack Reacher
2012Jack Reacher
as Det. EmersonMovie
Lincoln
2012Lincoln
as Corporal Ira ClarkMovie
The Paperboy
2012The Paperboy
as Yardley AchemanMovie
R
2012Rahab
as CenMovie
Red Tails
2012Red Tails
as Joe 'Lightning' LittleMovie
96 Minutes
201196 Minutes
as DuaneMovie
The Help
2011The Help
as Preacher GreenMovie
Conan
2010Conan
as SelfTV
Blood And Oil
2010Blood And Oil
as Keme TobodoTV
Small Island
2009Small Island
as GilbertTV
Rage
2009Rage
as HomerMovie
The Good Wife
2009The Good Wife
as Judge Edward WeldonTV
Big Guy
2009Big Guy
DirectorMovie
Who Do You Love
2008Who Do You Love
as Muddy WatersMovie
Sweet Nothing in My Ear
2008Sweet Nothing in My Ear
as Leonard GrishamMovie
The Passion
2008The Passion
as Joseph of ArimatheaTV
A Raisin in the Sun
2008A Raisin in the Sun
as Joseph AsagaiMovie
Five Days
2007Five Days
as Matt WellingsTV
Born Equal
2006Born Equal
as YemiMovie
The Last King of Scotland
2006The Last King of Scotland
as Dr. Thomas JunjuMovie
As You Like It
2006As You Like It
as Orlando De BoysMovie
Shoot the Messenger
2006Shoot the Messenger
as Joseph PascaleMovie
Mayo
2006Mayo
as Eddie Barton, 'Sexy' M.P.TV
Derailed
2005Derailed
as Patrol OfficerMovie
The Best Man
2005The Best Man
as GrahamMovie
A Sound of Thunder
2005A Sound of Thunder
as Marcus PayneMovie
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2003Jimmy Kimmel Live!
as Self - GuestTV
Tomorrow La Scala!
2002Tomorrow La Scala!
as CharlieMovie
Spooks
2002Spooks
as Danny HunterTV
Dog Eat Dog
2001Dog Eat Dog
as CJMovie
Maisie Raine
1998Maisie Raine
as Sonny McDonaldTV
The View
1997The View
as SelfTV
Tony Awards
1956Tony Awards
as Self - PresenterTV
O
Othello
as OthelloMovie
T
The Return of the Rocketeer
as The RocketeerMovie
C
Clarissa
as PeterMovie